Just posted: Fujifilm X10 in-depth review

Just Posted: Our in-depth review of the Fujifilm X10. It's been a long time coming, but we recently got our hands on a modified X10, which incorporates the sensor fix for the much-publicised 'white orbs' blooming issue. Since then, we've been working hard to incorporate our experiences with, and samples from the modified camera into this unavoidably-delayed review. Click here to read our full report on Fujifilm's flagship compact.

Yes, 3K would be beyond me too! An X20 with the hybrid viewfinder and a few of the little issues ironed even with the same revised sensor would be something I'd gladly more than the current X10 asking price for. I don't think it would be treading on the toes or the other cameras in the FUJI X range either.

Because it represents exactly what I think about the camera, I found the review very fair! I think it's a 6 mp camera with great jpegs out of the box and no real video capability. It has excellent handling and is satisfying to use. I set it on medium resolution, auto ISO to 3200 and often use it in EXR automatic mode. With the filter adapter I can use a Panasonic 0.75 wide converter that turns it into a 21-84 mm camera that is just right for interiors where the extended dynamic range is very helpful. It was expensive to buy in October 2011 but I've just bought another one direct from Fuji UK for £319.

The review forgot a few things : parallax problems when close viewing, complicated menu handling, expansive ......I agree with software jpegs. i have sold mine after three weeks, Will probably buy Sony rx100....larger sensor and probably better lens....more pocketable.

Thank you for the Review I love this camera and enjoy shooting with it I still havent sent it for a sensor change but for almost 1800 shots I did with it only twice ive seen the orbs still I love this camera

If anyone is interested I just uploaded a gallery of X10 "test" images that I edited in Lightroom 4. I can't see any sharpness difference in JPEG and RAW. Obviously the JPEG has slightly more digital sharpening but both type of files look great.

No sharpening of any kind added in LR 4. And I made one image of a reflective surface, a brass doorknob, to show the new sensors much improved rendering of specular highlights. Cheers everybody.

Thank you for the review. I must say that I was expecting better compared to my Canon Powershot S100 (which only scored 72%) and some of the hype.

- Image quality, Jpeg or Raw is equivalent at best despite the slightly bigger sensor (at low or high ISOs)- The Fuji is bigger, heavier and lacks many of the features I like (24mm, GPS, etc.)- Combining the power switch with the zoom control is, in my view, not such a great idea, as it's not possible to set the camera to a given focal length reliably if one turns it on and off.

Having a viewfinder is a plus, as is the faster lens in telephoto (although a limited version thereof), but the price differential makes it unattractive

The faster lens of the X10 at the long end (f2.8) really sets it apart from the S100. One of the only other P&S cameras to offer this is the XZ-1. The S100 I think is f4.9 at the telephoto end, so DOF will be fairly deep no matter what you do. Using the X10 lens wide open gives excellent DOF control for a P&S and you can actually get nice subject/background separation if you get reasonably close to your subject. There are really few P&Ss that offer so much for photographers/enthusiasts as the X10.

Current UK prices the X10 is cheaper. Its hard to really rate size isn't it. I mean know one would expect a D800 to be down graded for not being pocket size. You have to choose the size you want, a reviewer can't do it for you

Found the G1x unuseable,autofocus is terrible,IQ is brilliant but negated by the slower lens compared to the X10,as i now mainly print up to A4 max and view images on my Ipad 3 the X10 images look great for what i need,maybe for more critical stuff you will want a more capable sensor etc,but after 10 yrs of digital i'm sick of PP and computers, the X10 jpegs just work and lets me concentrate on photography !!! some people should try that instead of bitching.

It's a late review because DRP found a serious "orb" issue that Fuji addressed with a new sensor. DPR wasn't late. Fuji was. Unfortunately, by the time Fiji addressed the issue, the new Canon GX-1 bypassed it on performance. Refer to the Raw and JPG comparison results in the DP review of this camera. As for me, I waited for the OM-5 (E-5M) and am now a happy camper.

I'm glad the review noted the grey bar on the screen. I really want to turn that off for composing in 1:1 and 4:3.

Fuji, please fix these issues too with a firmware update:

The Custom display view is unavailable in EXR Auto. Custom is the only view where framing aids like the histogram, grid lines, and electronic level are available. I appreciate the electronic level and miss it from EXR Auto.

Allow 30 second exposures from ISO 100 to 1600. For now 30 second exposures are only available at ISO 100. At ISO 400 it's 8 seconds. At 800 it's 4 seconds and at 1600 it's 2.

ISO Bracketing isn't useful in low light. It takes three shots with identical shutter and aperture. Only the ISO changes between the three so the brightness varies. What would help in low light is lock the aperture and adjust the shutter speed to compensate for the ISO. The three shots will have the same brightness with three opportunities for a sharp, clear photo. Then keep the sharpest one with hopefully low ISO.

After taking a picture, allow review for longer than 1.5 or 3 seconds by pressing Zoom Out. This removes the need to enter the playback mode and the screen blinking to black for a distracting quarter second.

In review/Playback mode, portrait-oriented photos don't automatically rotate to fill the screen when holding the camera vertically so the image can match the screen. The pictures are displayed small and narrow in the middle of the screen with black vertical bars. Worse, when zooming in the black bars remain. That's right. As it zooms it doesn't use the whole screen, only the middle strip that a 4:3 portrait takes up. So a 16:9 or 3:2 image starts narrower and will zoom in to fill the space of 4:3 but no further. There is a menu setting to playback portrait shots rotated ninety degrees but then they always are like that and require turning the camera vertically for them.

When deleting photos the confirmation window has two choices, OK and Cancel. Cancel is the default. Allow users to change the default to OK. Deleting will go 50% faster.

To delete multiple photos, each one must be tediously selected. Add a way to select only the first and last in a range of them such as 0022 through 0086 and then delete the range.

As noted in the X-Pro1 review, pictures taken in Continuous drive mode use are saved with a different filename convention. Please change this or give users the option to change to use the same convention for stills and continuous drive.

Also as noted in the X-Pro1 review, adjusting manual focus takes too long and too much rotating the wheel. Fix this by detecting how fast the wheel is spun and move the focus more quickly or slowly to correspond. That will make taking a macro shot followed by a panorama picture quick and easy.

If that's the best Fuji can do at a low ISO, there's no point in looking any further. Anyhow, even at ISO 800, jpeg or raw, the XZ-1 retains more detail, it's very obvious in the paper clips. The X-10 looks soft.

At ISO 800, look at the older woman's hair. The XZ-1 smeared away the detail. Also look at the blond hair in the lower right. The XZ-1 is a smeary glob.

If you're never using your camera to photograph people in lower light conditions, the XZ-1 is better. Unless it's a high contrast scene and you don't want so much highlight clipping or black shadows. Then the X10 is better again thanks to the superior dynamic range.

The XZ-1 has limited circumstances when it has better image quality. It's like a car with lots of power but not so good cornering. The X10 has the cornering and a good amount of power. It's better balanced.

No question that the XZ-1 looks better in that case, but tough to really make an overall statement about the two cameras based on the edge of the frame at one focal length, distance, and aperture. The Canon G1X looks bad there too :) A lot depends on the lens and distance!

The X10 sensor isn't a traditional bayer pattern. It's been acknowledged the alternative pattern doesn't have the same sharpness. However it's better in low light, high contrast, and high dynamic range scenes.

At ISO 100, look at the Baileys bottle countryside. The X10 almost has as much detail. When resized for a screen or printed, it will look almost as good.

Alternatively for pixel peeping, look at the yellow feather behind the fuchsia and brown feather. The X10 actually captured more detail and texture. The XZ-1 smeared the fine detail.

At ISO 100 the XZ-1 doesn't have more detail. Most obviously on the right edge where the feather overlaps with the color boxes. The X10 shows more of the faint lines of the barbules. The XZ-1 shows the lines of the feather tips converging into a mostly solid block of yellow.

I'd expect more from a $600 camera. For that amount there are better options if IQ matters at all. And that parallax viewfinder with a whopping 85% coverage seems more like a cheap after thought than a serious OVF.

After all the fuss, what have we learned? Well, stuff that people who actually have an X10 already know. (1) It's not a video camera, (2) The lens is very good, (3) The lens barrel protrudes into the viewfinder which is ok on a Leica M camera but not on the X10, (4) this may be the one camera where Ken Rockwell is right about something--you have to work to make raw look as good as jpeg does right out of the camera. Oh, and I almost forgot; it's really a 6 megapixel camera which sounds like a huge drawback but in practice works fine.

I'm not sure I agree with Fuji's decision to not call out which cameras have the new sensor but since many people never encounter the orbs I can see where they are coming from. I was one of those foolish early adopters so I should have gotten an orb by now.

Thank you for the review. I've been holding out on sending the camera in for the sensor replacement and with this review (plus ybizzle's comments) i"ve made up my mind. I'll call them today to set it up.

I've had the camera about 3 months and absolutely love it. Nothing comes close for a point and shoot. Yes, I can put it in my pocket. I used to always shoot RAW because I was never happy with in-camera jpg results unit I got the X10. The poor RAW performance doesnt' faze me because I've been thrilled with the results right out of the camera. Just some minor tweeks is all it needs.

Also when I tried it in October it had no focus problems indoors and the jpegs out of the camera were pretty good.

So something tells me either you tried a bad example or there were further settings that needed adjustment.

Now that the orbs problem is fixed, and if I didn't own a Panasonic LX5, I'd seriously consider this. This camera is a big deal.

Seems to me that I spent about $700 on my first Canon G2 in late 2001--that's the price for the camera alone, no cards or extra batteries. So $600 for this camera doesn't seem like a huge amount for what you get. (It is a big price compared to some jpeg only camera with a 3.5 lens--but that's not the market.)

Hi. I love my x10. A few quirks - the continuous focus without half pressing the shutter is kinda hard for me to get my head around - but the results are usually very good and it feels and looks well built. And a girl said it was "cute!"!!Tim

I'm not really offended by anything. The only narrow minded person is you who comments on a camera you don't even own. When you can add some substance to the discussion based on a camera you OWN, comment away.

Oh and FYI, look at the comments on this site and reviews around the net that praise this little gem. Yea I'm a fan boy...A fan of quality cameras. ;)

A few minutes playing around with a camera doesn't give you enough experience to make any kind of reasoned judgment. Apart from anything else, owners have presumably read the manual and have a much better sense of how to actually use the camera.

Thanks to the posters who actually own this camera and can shed some real light on its pros and cons.

ybizzle, I don't see you complaining about positive comments written by non-owners. Luckily, you don't decide who can or cannot comment. So please, stick to the point and stop bullying people simply because you have nothing substantial to respond with to a negative comment about a product you own.

Looks like a nice camera. But, its not really the form factor that im looking for in a compact, carry everywhere camera. The protruding lens and massive lens hood really kills the portability, might as well carry a mirrorless.. or something slightly bigger but much better like the G1X.

They did that for you?Well it restores my faith on Fuji.But don't forget how many photographers were left lost in the dark after the one month return policy from the vendor and Fuji.How about some more testimonials like yours here?

In Canada, Fuji has a 2yr warranty so even after the 30 day vendor return policy is over, you can send in your cam to Fuji to have it evaluated. On the form they send you, you can indicate whether or not you want them to fix your cam, or send you a new one based on their discretion. I chose this option and received a new one.

Mind you, I bought my cam right when it came out so it was out putting orbs constantly. I even had dust in the lens but all that has been fixed with this new model!

A correction is due in the EXR-DR part (page 9): "In this mode the sensor starts reading from alternate lines of photosites (ending their exposure), part of the way through the total exposure time. This means half the sensor stops capturing light early."But as per the mentioned Born’s article and also some tests on the fuji forum, "half the sensor is exposed shorter and LATER."

Yes that's true. They should build a new model without the quirks. I think the review was very aqurate and I really liked the pressure that was build up by DPreview on the Sensor/Orb issue. They deserve great respect for this.

This review pulls no punches with regard to determining whether or not a model on the shelf contains the old or new sensor. In that regard alone Fuji's silence is deafening and damning. The other major issue raised in the review is this line from the list of negatives: "Poor image quality of Raw files processed via the bundled (and other third party) software." Of course the "other third party" software in question must include PS. If one is buying this camera as a walk-around model with RAW capabilities and those capabilities are inferior, a rating of 76 is frankly preposterous!!! Thus, while parts of this review are praiseworthy, in the end DPR has done followers a disservice.

Hmmm...the 'disservice' being that anyone considering spending their money on a camera has to read the review to get our take on it rather just just looking at its score on the product page? Keep in mind that our overall rating is derived from various aspects of camera IQ, performance, operation and features.

No one should take the numbers at face value without reading a review. That said, one of DPR's sorting factors to begin research is the rating number. The jury cannot disregard the reMARK! A camera whose RAW capabilities are critical to potential users and whose RAW capabilities are inferior deserves a lower rating.

At the same time, though, the RX100 and G1X have massive sensors, which means they can be used at higher ISOs. Looking at DPR's comparator, the G1X seems to have a two or three stop ISO advantage over the X10. The RX100 probably won't be as dramatic, but it will have probably a 1-stop ISO advantage. Add that to its performance advantages and its pocketability, and you're looking at a very competitive camera for only $50 more.

Don't think that I'm against the X10, though. I've been refreshing this site every hour for the past week waiting for the X10 review. It just seems to be calling my name every time I see it.

However, practicality trumps passion in this case. I already have a DSLR. An RX100 or S100 would be a much better complement for my kit.

Better late than never. Thanks for making it clear all along that the issue of orbs was causing the delay of this review. That should be enough warning to those who were considering buying before the review is out.

It is however disappointing that the review was not published earlier so as to give everyone a clearer picture of what this most significant camera (at that time) was like in all its features and IQ other than the orb, and THEN later updated with additional orb fixing information. That would have made it more useful and interesting, since this camera is not so interesting now, months later, after the E-M5, and the RX100, and others.

My interest in this camera and this review have been lost long ago and so I only read the part about the orb issue.

This is still way better than another delay in reviewing another significant camera - DXOMark's E-M5 review. No reason given for the delay and nothing to suggest why it should take extra time or given less priority.

Sergey,Whenever a move as drastic as a new sensor is involved, there's always the potential for other IQ and even operational changes, accidental or otherwise. While the suggestion to simply publish with hardware we knew would not be what customers (who bought later or sent their original in for replacement) would ultimately be getting may sound reasonable, it would have meant re-doing all of our IQ testing and evaluation and potentially every single image sample in both the review and gallery. We could have found ourselves in a position where we would have had to essentially review the camera twice. That would not have gotten us to this point (a full review of the new sensor) any faster.

So I understand your frustration, but we decided to hold off, and then of course had to re-schedule the review process around other cameras in the pipeline, like the D800, D800E and 5D Mk III, for instance which are of interest to even greater numbers of our readers.

I think we all regret what happened, or what caused the delay - the orbs that ruined what was supposed to be the launch of a great camera so eagerly awaited by so many since the X100 was released.

At this time, it is just another fairly good camera, after a few really nice mirrorless have been released, reviewed and without a show-stopping fault, and hence stole the show. Too bad for Fuji. All the momentum originally generated months and months ago was lost. I wish it has learnt its lessons, not just this, but also the over-heating in the HS20, the same orbs in the X-S1, and the launch of the X-Pro1 with no IS lens or zoom, but with significant focusing flaws.

I think more detail on the viewfinder needs to be included - e.g. a photo through it, and a graphic depicting its size in comparison to other cameras. After all the only reason anybody would buy this camera is because it has one....

i find this camera very appealing. build quality form factor and user experience are lovely for a cmera this size. the lens is just right and has some of the best depth of field capabilities of any compact camera.

Don't forget that unless stated otherwise, the JPEGs you see throughout the review pages are processed in-camera (ie they are by default in-camera Raw conversions). We've also included a before/after example of in-camera raw conversions in the review and have a number of images in the samples gallery that were reprocessed with additional settings like film simulation modes.

I have zero issues with raw, which is all I shoot with the X10. Lightroom 4 and ACR work perfectly, AFAIK, and I've never seen anything from the images like the raws in the Comparison tool (RAW images from my X10 are as sharp or sharper than my previous XZ1 and GRD III). The jpegs are very good, but raws look terrific. Fuji colors are always excellent, the x10 has a superb lens, and high ISO ability is very strong for such a camera.

All of these are raw processed in Lightroom 4, exported to jpeg

http://www.dpreview.com/galleries/5543808958/albums/fuji-x10

DPR, thanks for the review. Maybe you can reshoot the raw section, as the current images there do a diservice to a wonderful camera (You can borrow my X10, it has a new sensor, and is good to go). The way the raw comparison is now is really not representative of the output the X10 produces without breaking a sweat.

marike,I've only browsed through a couple of images in your X10 gallery, but do you have any full res 12MP raw files processed via LR/ACR? Because if you have third party raw conversions that show more detail than the in-camera JPEGs, we'd love to see them.

Thanks for the excellent series Marike! I always shoot raw with Nikon using Nikon software but have been so pleased with Fujifilm OOC jpgs I haven't bothered with bundled software. You have inspired me so I will now install an on sale copy of Lightroom 3 that has been sitting around for months unopened. Here are some of the best of my X10 including a trip to Rome when I decided to leave my dSLR home and just enjoy unencumbered portability. I was impressed.

http://jbipix.com/?s=fuji

Amadou. Thanks for being so forthright and helpful ... and out here in the comments section to dialogue with members. Neat!!! As a former internet network coordinator with responsibility for a suite of forums, this is exemplary and brings reasoned and informative exchanges of ideas!

HHmm. At full resolution using LR it is impossible to get RAW files to deliver the same fine detail as in-camera jogs. Very frustrating. In general I have found all full-resolution shots to be a bid disappointing, producing detail hardly distinguishable from the 6mp settings. This is not, currently, a camera for RAW shooters, as the review makes clear.

@Amadou + everybodyI have posted full-size "test" images, as per Amadou's request. I shot RAW + JPEG and uploaded the files without correction (obviously the raw were saved as JPEG, and saved with _ACR.jpg, as is DPR's custom. Except for slightly higher digital sharpening in the JPEGs the fine detail look the same. I love shooting with the X10, as for a P&S it has good DOF control, and the lens had decent bokeh.

Ergo607 is correct. Given the reaction to the white orbs in our forums, once we heard that a sensor replacement was forthcoming we made the decision to delay the review of the camera until we had one with the new sensor.

People can complain that it's late, of course, but it wasn't for lack of effort on the part of any of us at dpreview, particularly, Mr. Kelcey Smith, who, as our studio manager and testing wizard, dealt heroically with a number of technical issues in getting the studio work accomplished.

The X10 is probably the most collaborative review we've ever done. We also published a lot of content on this camera prior to the review (knowing that the review was going to take some time), which on many other 'review' sites would cumulatively have counted as a full and complete treatment of the camera... just search for 'Fujifilm X10' in the box at upper right, and you'll see it.

I think the biggest "flaw" of the X10 is its very poor battery life (as compared to its mirror-less counterparts). I have read earlier reviews on this, and that it can hardly take over 200 shots in one go...

It really depends on who they want to sell the camera to, and if it's to "photo enthusiasts", then it's just fine in terms of handling and retro-feel, etc. I do stock work, so the image quality is very sub-par (to me) for that use, as it is from most Fuji cameras to be honest - but again, if you're not submitting images to a company that is going to pixel-peep it, then there's far less worries about the quirks. These are still good enough for reasonable sized enlargements.

At the time, 2/3 was the biggest sensor in a compact, so Fuji did well fitting it in here. Also keep in mind that the Rx100 you are referring to has a measly f4.9 at telephoto, which is almost 2 stops slower than the X10. So you'll actually get a little bit more light, lower ISO and better DOF control with the X10.

The RX100 is in a different category - pocketable. When LX7 is announced with 1 inch sensor, and Fujifilm don't respond with an X20 upgrade soon, Fujifilm can say goodbye to this compact category as well.

Fair review. Battery life gets better after a few recyles and though I carry 2 extra batteries I rarely have to use them on a full days shoot. In regards to the white orbs problem, I have shot about 15000 shots, (general street photography), with the X10 and have only seen about 5 frames with orbs. Just not a problem with my camera. I will not bother getting the sensor replaced. Finally....the camera is a joy to use mainly because of the manual zoom lens and the optical viewfinder. Image quality is very good but more specifically....the colours are just beautiful and have a quality not matched by any other camera I have owned, DSLR or otherwise.